THE SILVER FOX 5 



Hussars, looked round upon his guests, and 

 felt that champagne was the only reparation 

 in his power. 



" I feel it's all my fault bringing you 

 people down here to starve. You'll have to 

 take it out in drink," he said helplessly. 



The words were addressed to the com- 

 pany, but his brown eyes, that were like 

 the eyes of a good small dog, addressed 

 themselves to those of his wife. Slaney, 

 following them, wondered whether he could 

 help seeing the black line frankly drawn 

 along the edge of Lady Susan's lower eye- 

 lids. The white glare from the snow showed 

 it unsparingly, as she looked at her husband 

 over the rim of the champagne glass from 

 which she was drinking. 



" Yes, darling, you're a silly little thing," 

 she said blandly; "I always said that spill 

 had given you softening of the brain." 



^'What spill?" asked Slaney. It was 

 almost the first time she had spoken. She 

 had sat, inwardly scornful and outwardly 

 shy, in the midst of conversation whose 



